Published Jan 15, 2020
Joe Burrow tore rib cartilage in championship game, he says on podcast
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Julie Boudwin  •  Death Valley Insider
Managing Editor
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@Julie_Boudwin

For the first time all season, LSU found itself down by 10 early in the first half of the national championship game against Clemson Monday night in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

But the Tigers never flinched.

The Tigers were down 17-7 and Burrow led the team back to take a 28-17 lead going into halftime en route to a 42-25 victory. On Burrow's last throw before the half, he took a rib shot from a Clemson defender as he released a touchdown pass to Thaddeus Moss. ESPN cameras caught Burrow on the sideline with hands on his hips and looking like he was in some discomfort. ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe said Burrow was gasping for air and feared he might have a broken rib.

The Heisman Trophy winner cleared up the air Tuesday morning on what really happened in the game, while adding he's recovering from a full night partying in New Orleans.

"It's overcoming my violent hangover right now. I'm getting pretty old," Burrow said on Barstool Sports' Pardon My Take podcast. "I tore some cartilage in my ribs."

In the postgame press conference, Burrow said: "I was fine. I was just fine. They had a great plan coming in. We knew they would. Brent Venables is the best in the country at what he does, and he was mixing up the looks. I honestly couldn't figure out where they were blitzing from all night. We had great play calls, great coaching staff. This was a long time coming. I'm kind of speechless right now. This was fun."

Burrow finished the game 31-of-49 for 463 yards and five passing touchdowns.

Ed Orgeron was also on the podcast and joked with the hosts about Burrow being the king of Louisiana now.

Burrow also spoke during the podcast, which was released Wednesday, about:

Combine training: "I'm going to probably celebrate for about a week and then go home and celebrate a little more, and then go to California and start throwing the football around because it's not like I really have to do a lot of things at the combine."

What he did after the game: "Well first of all, there was about 45 minutes of sleep. We got in at like 7:30 last night. I don't know where we went. Don't ask me where we went. We went somewhere. ... I think we had a little section, but we went out with all the former players so that was a lot of fun. ...

"So they say we have a parade this weekend. So I might have to save up so I can Gronk that parade."

Receiving money from Odell Beckham Jr. after the game: "I'm not a student-athlete anymore so I can say, yeah."

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